Outfest Begins Tonight
July 9, 2009
Outfest, the 27th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, begins tonight and features 182 films from 25 countries over the span of 11 days.The Opening Night Gala is tonight at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles and features La Mission, a powerful film from writer/director Peter Bratt. The film stars Peter’s brother, Benjamin Bratt, as Che, a former inmate and recovering alcoholic who reacts violently when he discovers his beloved son Jesse is gay.
The film premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and the cast participated in a Q&A at the Queer Lounge, a program of GLAAD:
In related news, Variety printed an excellent article about the prominence of lesbian films at this year’s Outfest:
Chasity Kershal Hammitte in Mississippi Damned
“We have two centerpieces geared toward women, Tina Mabry’s ‘Mississippi Dammed’ and Lucia Puenzo’s ‘El Nino Pas,’” says Outfest exec director Kirsten Schaffer. “And the Legacy Project gala is ‘Choosing Children’ (1984), which is more oriented toward lesbians. We also have Nancy Kissam’s ‘Drool,’ which was a huge success at Slamdance this year. And there’s ‘Ghosted’ from Monika Treut, who has a huge lesbian following.”
Diversity is key at Outfest, yet it’s an uphill battle for women, if only because there are always so many gay-male pics to contend with. “Any year we have the opportunity to highlight films by female directors we do,” says Schaffer. Last year, “there were definitely films that were lesbian, but they tended to be international and smaller films.”
Tickets are still available for numerous screenings and may be purchased at the Outfest website.
Related Posts:Photo Finish From Successful Queer Lounge
February 5, 2009
From a press conference with Jim Carrey about his new film I Love You Phillip Morris, to a look at the homophobia in communities of color in La MISSION, to a viewing party of the inauguration, the GLAAD Queer Lounge, sponsored by ABSOLUT Vodka, during Sundance and Slamdance was a resounding success.
Here at glaadBLOG you’ll find videos from all of our filmmaker panels and one-on-one interviews with those on the cutting edge of LGBT-inclusive film.
If a Flickr slideshow is more your speed, then click here to see all the highlights.
Lee Daniels Film Scores Triple Crown at Sundance
January 25, 2009
One of the most talked about films of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival is Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire, from out director Lee Daniels. And now both the jury and audience have spoken: The film has been given three top honors at the Festival’s closing awards ceremony.The Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Push, as was the Audience Award presented by Honda: U.S. Dramatic.
Both the jury and audience award-winners were announced at a ceremony hosted by out actor Jane Lynch in Park City, Utah. Highlights from the Awards Ceremony can be seen on the Sundance Channel, the Official Television Network of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, beginning Sunday, January 25, as well as on the official Festival website, www.sundance.org/festival
Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire tells the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice. The film also features Mariah Carey. A Special Jury Prize for Acting was presented to Mo’Nique for her portrayal of a mentally ill mother who both emotionally and physically imprisons her daughter in Push.
Other awards for LGBT-inclusive films include:
The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to The September Issue. With unprecedented access, director R.J. Cutler, cinematographer Bob Richman and their crew shot for nine months to capture editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and her team preparing the 2007 Vogue September issue, widely accepted as the “fashion bible” for the year’s trends.
A Special Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary was presented to Good Hair, directed by Jeff Stilson, in which comedian Chris Rock travels the world to examine the culture of African-American hair and hairstyles.
A Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Independence was presented to Humpday, Lynn Shelton’s farcical comedy about straight male bonding gone a little too far.
“We knew this would be an historic year, given our anniversary and the inauguration,” said John Cooper, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival. “But I have to say that adding to the excitement and experience was the selection of truly high quality films in this year’s competition. We were blown away and so were audiences.”
Director Lee Daniels and Push star Gabourey Sidibe appeared on a panel at the GLAAD Queer Lounge to discuss the making of the film. Check it out here:
Glenn McQuaid Sells the Dead… And His Movie
January 23, 2009
Irish filmmaker Glenn McQuaid sat on a Queer Lounge panel this week to discuss his film, I Sell the Dead and to generously give tips to filmmakers just starting out. The panel was sponsored by Film Independent and provided a lively atmosphere for the packed house.
Steak House Serves Up the Meat of the Biz
January 23, 2009
Producer Steak House is currently at Slamdance with her film, Weather Girl. She sat on a panel at Queer Lounge this week to discuss her methods, in the hopes it might help audience members understand the work behind producing a film. Hint: A trust fund may help, but it’s not essential.
The Women Behind Mississippi Damned Talk About Their Careers
January 23, 2009
Writer/Director Tina Mabry and Producer Morgan Stiff sat on a Queer Lounge panel this week to discuss how they got their start as filmmakers. One important tip? Never be afraid to ask for anything for FREE. You’ll be surprised what you’ll get!
Tze Chun Helps Budding Filmmakers
January 23, 2009
Tze Chun, director of Sundance’s Children of Invention, sat on a Queer Lounge panel this week designed to help filmmakers who are just starting out. We’ve assembled the best of his answers. We hope this helps you get your foot in the door!
Cherien Dabis on How She Got Started
January 23, 2009
Writer/Director Cherien Dabis (Amreeka) sat on a Queer Lounge panel this week entitled, “Road to Park City and Beyond: Launching Your Film Career.” It took her five years to perfect the script. Do you have what it takes to be a Sundance filmmaker?
What’s in Store for LGBT Film Festivals?
January 23, 2009
While film festivals like Sundance face an uncertain future in the current economic climate, queer film festivals like Outfest and Newfest face even more significant challenges as they struggle to hold onto sponsors, attract younger audiences, and face competition from increasingly inclusive mainstream fests.
So what must LGBT festivals do to adapt and thrive? This Queer Lounge panel addresses what’s at stake and features producer/director Lesli Klainberg, the interim executive director of New York City’s Newsfest; Kirsten Schaffer, deputy executive director of Los Angeles’ Outfest; Jennifer Morris, director of programming at San Francisco’s Frameline, Carol Coombes, associate artistic director of the Philadelphia Film Festival and Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival; Paul Rachman, East Coast director of Slamdance, a festival inclusive of LGBT films; and Orly Ravid, co-founder of American Vision and VP acquisitions of Senator Entertainment.
Most of the panel is available below, with analysis provided here.
Unfortunately, the sound was not working at the beginning of the hour, so introductions are cut off, but the discussion remains. Our apologies for any inconvenience.
Navigating Hollywood with LGBT Content
January 22, 2009
For many filmmakers — novices and seasoned vets alike — presenting their LGBT-inclusive film to big-name distributors can be a daunting task. For many, it seems impossible that their gay film will ever hit theaters. For those in doubt, Queer Lounge assembled a group of experts who have beaten the odds and gotten their LGBT projects made.
The panelists included Christine Vachon (Killer Films), Ryan Werner (IFC), Eric d’Arbeloff (Roadside Attractions) and David Permut and Daniel Sladek (Lifetime’s Prayers for Bobby, which airs this Saturday, Jan. 24).
The panel was moderated by film critic for The Advocate, Kyle Buchanan.
Feel Like an OUTSIDER?
January 21, 2009
Queer Lounge hosted a panel this morning entitled, “The Outsiders: Forming Identities from the Margins.” It was a fascinating hour, moderated by Kyle Buchanan, film critic for The Advocate, and featured Mary Jane Sklaski and David Brind (Dare), Lee Daniels and Gabourey Sidibe (Push) and Steve Kelly (City Rats).
These three LGBT-inclusive films address a feeling of “otherness,” a theme which many gay films posses. The panelists are all incredibly lively and have great stories to tell. A particular highlight involves dish on Mariah Carey, who delivers a (surprisingly?) strong performance in Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire. Look for it in Part Three of the video below.
Kyle Buchanan’s Take on Sundance 2009
January 21, 2009
Kyle Buchanan, film critic for The Advocate, has moderated two panels for Queer Lounge this week, lending his unique insight and expertise to all who attended. Of course we wanted to pass on his riches to you! Watch our interview with him as he gives us the run-down on which Sundance movies to look out for in 2009.
David Brind Dares Us to See Dare
January 21, 2009
Screenwriter David Brind stopped by Queer Lounge today to talk about Dare, his new film now screening at Sundance. Though Dare has a gay character and addresses gay themes, Brind doesn’t classify it specifically as a “gay movie.” Find out why by watching our interview.
Benjamin Bratt, Peter Bratt & More Talk Up La MISSION
January 21, 2009
Brothers Benjamin and Peter Bratt visited the Queer Lounge yesterday with their cast and crew in tow, to talk up their new Sundance film, La MISSION. The movie addresses homophobia in ethnic communities and machismo culture, and promises to be an emotional and powerful film.
Castmembers Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez and Jesse Borrego also sat on the panel, as well as John Amaechi, who helped fund the project. It was a lively discussion, one that was received well by the capacity crowd.
Please enjoy this panel in its entirety.
Amreeka Writer/Director Cherien Dabis
January 20, 2009
Cherien Dabis, a writer/director who wrote for The L Word for three seasons, is at Sundance this week with her new feature, Amreeka. The film is a lighthearted semi-autobiographical tale about a Palestinian family’s journey from their homeland to the heartland of America.
